


The Doctor and the General

by Yevynaea



Category: Doctor Who (2005), Guardians of Childhood & Related Fandoms, Guardians of Childhood - William Joyce
Genre: Angst, Crossover, Gen, Golden Age, Time Travel, and her character sehstor has a short cameo in here, and knows that koz is going to get possessed by fearlings, basically the doctor meets kozmotis, but can't save him because it's a fixed point, i borrowed a few headcanons from linddzz since she inspired me to write this, like the uniforms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-21
Updated: 2014-02-21
Packaged: 2018-01-13 08:03:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1218739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yevynaea/pseuds/Yevynaea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Doctor and Rose show up at Tsar and Tsarina Lunanoff's palace just in time to celebrate the end of the First Fearling Wars. There they hear a name that the Doctor knows well.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m Kozmotis—General Kozmotis Pitchiner. And this is my daughter Seraphina.”<br/>	Rose didn’t miss how the Doctor’s face crumpled at the name. She could practically see the familiar apology forming on his lips, ‘I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.’</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Doctor and the General

**Author's Note:**

> This is for Lindsey (linddzz) because her tags on one of my posts were basically a prompt for this and I couldn't resist writing it.

            The TARDIS landed with the same loud wheezing noises as it always did, and the Doctor grinned at Rose across the console.

            “Ready?” He asked with a wink.

            “First tell me where we are, last time I walked out those doors was in 48th century Paris and I nearly got whisked away by the fourth French Revolution.” Rose shot the Doctor an annoyed glance, she still hadn’t forgiven him for that fiasco.

            “Well,” The Doctor looked at the screen on the console. “If we are where we should be, then there shouldn’t be any riots or wars going on this time. Actually, we should probably go get changed; wouldn’t want to show up to a celebration like this in inappropriate dress.”

            “Wait, so where are we?” Rose asked, grinning as she followed him through the TARDIS to the wardrobe. “And, when are we?”

            “As for the when,” The Doctor started digging through clothes, looking for the right outfits. “We’re in a time period long, long, long before humans started numbering the years. Earth doesn’t even have a moon yet at this point.”

            “Ok, and the where?” Rose put her hands up just in time to catch a poofy dress being thrown in her general direction, only to have it snatched away again while the Doctor ran a hand through his spiky hair muttering about missing uniforms.

            “A galaxy ruled by Constellations, at the very height of its Golden Age. It has many names; no one’s ever been sure which titles were given to the planets here originally, but it’s amazing here, Rose. The people’s lifespans almost match that of Time Lords, their ships look like illustrations straight out of fantasy, and if I got the date right, we’re about to be guests at one of the biggest parties to hit the galaxy in millennia.”

            As he finished speaking, the Doctor grinned more excitedly than Rose had seen him in weeks, and threw another dress in her direction. This one looked less like something out of a history book and more like something out of a fairytale; it was a dark raspberry-pink kind of color, with a high collar and a long, draping skirt.

            “Aaand the boots.” The Doctor tossed a pair of tall boots at Rose, still smiling ear-to-ear. He had his own outfit draped over his arm; it looked like an old-fashioned soldier uniform. It was all black save for gold embroidery here and there, and came with dark grey gloves and tall black boots.

 

            “So, what are we celebrating again?” Rose asked once the two of them had changed and were back in the console room.

            “The end of a war.” The Doctor’s face sobered a bit. “The First Fearling Wars were terrible, terrible affairs, Rose. They went on for decades, and the peace was short lived before--” He stopped, and drew in a long breath. “Still, the Golden Age of the Constellations is a fun time to visit if you know the right dates, which I do.”

            He smiled again, extending his arm to lock it in hers, and together they walked out of the TARDIS and into what appeared to be a huge courtyard. Above them the sky was bright with thousands of multicolored stars and planets and swirling galaxies, and ahead of them laid a huge sprawling palace that looked like it might be made of stardust itself.

            “Wow.” Rose whispered, awed by the aesthetic appeal of everything around her. The Doctor giggled, smiling like he’d been waiting for that very reaction.

           

            They entered the grand hall in the middle of an elegant song that everyone else seemed to know, judging by how many people were dancing. A young man stepped up and offered to announce them, stepping back with a bow when the Doctor declined.

            “Why did he ask before announcing us?” Rose asked, glancing back at the boy as she and the Doctor descended the stairs.

            “Many people here fought in the war, it makes sense that they wouldn’t want their names announced. Everyone would be congratulating them on their victories, asking how they’re adjusting to civilian life again, things like that.” The Doctor shook his head. “The last thing you want after being part of a war as bad as this one was is have people reminding you of it. So they don’t announce names unless given permission, because then whoever wants to keep their famous name a secret can.”

            “That’s…very considerate.” Rose replied, nodding approvingly. They reached the bottom of the steps and were almost immediately confronted by a little girl with moonlight-silver skin and long black hair that seemed to have a life and mind of its own.

            “Who’re you?” She asked suspiciously, staring up at the Doctor.

            “I’m the Doctor.” The Doctor responded easily, and the girl narrowed her eyes at him.

            “You’re wearing a uniform like the soldiers on my Daddy’s ship wear, but I’ve never seen you before.” The girl continued, crossing her arms over her chest.

            “Well I’m sure lots of people wear this uniform.” The Doctor grinned, but the girl shook her head solemnly.

            “Not anymore.” She shot him one last suspicious glare before scampering off again, holding her green skirts up off the ground as she disappeared into the crowd.

            “That was…ominous.” Rose muttered, but the Doctor was back to smiling fairly quickly; a new song was just starting and it didn’t take an expert to know that the Time Lord wanted to dance. Rose let herself be whisked onto the dance floor, following the Doctor through the steps and trying her best to pay attention to the steps even as she looked at the people around her in fascination.

            “Was that--” She spun around to look over her shoulder at the nearly-7-feet-tall black rabbit standing across the room.

            “A Pooka.” The Doctor smiled, almost sadly. “A brilliant race, they are. Shape-shifters and warriors, all of them, but genius, and probably some of the gentlest creatures you’ll ever meet in peacetime.”

            “Huh.” Rose caught sight of another Pooka dancing nearby, this one mostly a chocolate-brown color, with black spots dotting his body. He was dancing with a woman with midnight-blue skin, and Rose looked away when the woman’s sharp gaze flickered over to her.

            The dance finished and they moved off the dance floor, then the Doctor pointed out the royal family to Rose and told her a bit more about their world. The Tsar and Tsarina Lunanoff were busy talking to dignitaries while their infant son was watched over by the glowing little sprite-boy who served as babysitter and older brother.

            “Hey, mister!” Rose and The Doctor looked down at the silver-skinned girl, who had returned with the same scowl as before and the addition of a tall man with hair that seemed to gravitate backward and up toward the ceiling. He was wearing the same uniform as the Doctor (though with considerably more decoration), and when Rose glanced between the man and the girl she could easily see the family resemblance. It was the nose, mostly.

            “Um, hello.” The Doctor smiled, the expression being one Rose recognized as his trying-really-hard-to-not-get-in-trouble smile.

            “Sorry about my daughter, she was adamant that I come and see if I knew you.” The man chuckled, sending a look at the girl that was somewhere between exasperated and fond. “And it seems I don’t, which is odd. I know most everyone here.”

            “I’m the Doctor. Just the Doctor.” The Doctor shook the silver-skinned man’s hand when it was offered to him.

            “And you are?” The man turned to Rose, a friendly smile on his lips.

            “Rose Tyler.” Rose replied, shaking his hand as well. He didn’t try to kiss it, which Rose was almost surprised by given how old-fashioned everything seemed to be here.

            “A pleasure.” The man said to both of them. “I’m Kozmotis—General Kozmotis Pitchiner. And this is my daughter Seraphina.”

            Rose didn’t miss how the Doctor’s face crumpled at the name. She could practically see the familiar apology forming on his lips, ‘ _I’m sorry, I’m so sorry._ ’

            Kozmotis evidently didn’t miss it either, because he looked decidedly uncomfortable now.

            “If you’ll excuse us, we should find Seraphina’s mother. Have to make the most of these last few days before leaving for—well I’m sure you know, Doctor.” Kozmotis gestured toward the Doctor’s melancholy expression, and the Time Lord seemed to snap out of a trance, nodding vigorously.

            “Yes, of course. Go, have fun. Make the most of it.” The Doctor agreed with a forced laugh, eyes still sad as the General and his daughter turned to leave.

            “Where’s he going?” Rose almost whispered, knowing the answer could be nothing good. The Doctor was silent for a long moment before he finally answered.

            “To the Fearling Prison, far away from here.” The Doctor sighed. He led Rose to the edge of the room, further away from any eavesdropping ears, before continuing his explanation. “See, after the First Fearling Wars ended, all the remaining fearlings were rounded up and put in a huge prison in deep space, to keep them from terrorizing the universe as they’d once done.”

            “And fearlings are?”

            “Living shadows; one breed of them anyway. Pray you never meet one.” The Doctor said gravely. “But they were all locked up, and General Kozmotis Pitchiner was sent to guard them.”

            “Wait, you keep saying ‘the First Fearling Wars.’” Rose realized. “There’ll be more, then?”

            “Oh, yes.”

            “So those fearling things, they get out, then, yeah? And what happens to him?” Rose nodded to where Kozmotis was laughing alongside a woman that must have been his wife. They were holding Seraphina between them.

            When all that met her inquiry was silence, Rose looked back to the Doctor, who was watching the same scene she was.

            “He doesn’t die, does he?” Rose asked, expecting the answer to be yes, but to her surprise the Doctor shook his head.

            “No. No, he doesn’t die. But what does happen is far worse. He gets possessed, by the fearlings. He ends up starting the Second Fearling Wars, killing millions because of those things that he originally helped stop, and it’s a fixed point upon which a great deal of history rests. To save him would be to alter time and change the entire course of history both here and on Earth, not to mention a good third of the universe besides.”

            Rose sat in silence with the Doctor, holding his hand tight in hers.

            “Do you wanna go?” She asked softly. He shook his head again.

            “No.” He licked his lips. “Well, sort of. But no. We should stay. This is one of the biggest celebrations of this Golden Age, and one of the last. It’d be a shame not to make the most of it.”

            They returned to the dance floor, and every time they spun around Rose could catch a glimpse of General Pitchiner and his family. The Doctor must have been rubbing off on her more than she thought, because when the Time Lord muttered in Kozmotis’ direction, Rose found herself thinking the words right along with him.

            “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”


End file.
